With only seconds to spare before she reaches us, I lean in toward Dane with a huge grin on my face. I can’t let this moment pass without giving him shit, so I do my best Valley Girl impression to further annoy him.
“Like, imagine your best friend, like, being super hot. Then imagine, like, not … being able to tap that.”
Sterling laughs behind his fist, but Dane isn’t amused. His only reaction is the elbow I take to the ribs. Then, Joss is right in front of us, colliding with Dane so forcefully she practically knocks the wind out of him. His back slams against the broadside of my car and both arms lock tight around her waist. It’s just a hug, yeah, but not the kind you expect between ‘best friends’.
They’re both full of shit. They just haven’t realized it yet. One of these days, they’re gonna get tired of beating around the bush, and someone will make a move.
My money’s on Dane, but Sterling swears it’ll be Joss.
We’ll see how it plays out, but for now, both try extra hard to convince themselves and each other they’ll never be a thing.
“When’d you get back?” Dane asks. “Didn’t expect to see you until Monday morning.”
His eyes are all over her when they finally put some space between them. She either doesn’t mind, or she’s so used to him eye-banging her she doesn’t even notice anymore. Probably the latter.
“We got in early so I wouldn’t miss orientation. Plus, I wanted to get back for Casey’s B-Day party tonight.”
As soon as she mentions that name, I see regret in her eyes as they flit toward me. But if she’s expecting me to lose my shit, it won’t happen. There’s so much to unpack with what has now been dubbed ‘The Casey Situation’ I don’t even have the energy.
“Her nineteenth, right?” I ask casually, pretending the whole thing doesn’t still fuck with my head when I let it.
Joss nods. “Yeah, she invited a bunch of girls from our dance squad and most from Everly Prep to celebrate. She’s only home for the weekend, then she’s headed back to school tomorrow night. I’ll tell her you asked about her,” Joss offers.
“I’d rather you didn’t.”
The words leave my mouth quickly, which doesn’t seem to go over her head. She knows the history, so there’s no need to explain my reaction. My brothers expressions are blank and an awkward silence takes over what could’ve been a pleasant conversation. However, Joss manages to rebound after a moment.
“Well, did you miss me?” she bites her glossed lip after asking Dane the question, slowly peering up at him with a ghosting smile.
“I … well …”
I feel him about to say something stupid, so I intervene. As much as I enjoy giving him a hard time, I won’t let him embarrass himself.
Not in front of other people, anyway.
“We all missed you,” I tease. “The north side hasn’t been the same since you left.”
The mood lightens when she laughs and rolls her eyes. “Yeah, I’m sure. You guys probably didn’t even notice I was gone. Hard to keep track of who’s where when you’re always either drunk or high.”
She shoots Dane a look and he pushes a hand behind his neck, letting out a nervous laugh. “I take it you kept up with my posts.”
“Sure did, and I’ll bet the admissions committee at NCU is keeping up with them, too,” she warns.
It’s then that I remember why there’s a gulf between these two, keeping both in the other’s friend zone. Joss is all books, grades, and Advance Placement classes. Meanwhile, Dane never passes up a good time. They’re polar opposites, which works for some, but not so much for them.
“Did you even research the internship programs I emailed you?” she asks. “They’re perfect for the digital marketing field.”
Dane’s stare lingers on her a moment and I know for a fact that he loves her fire, how she scolds him with her eyes, puts him in his place every chance she gets.
“I did. Even made a spreadsheet of each one’s requirements,” he answers after another round of eye-banging.
Joss nearly succeeds at holding back a smile. “Good. Because the thing with my uncle isn’t guaranteed. You need a backup plan just in case.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Dane says, cocking his head with the words.
Joss holds his gaze as long as she can, muttering a faint, “Smart-ass,” when she grins. Then, she draws in a breath and her eyes shift across the parking lot.
“So, other than wishing you were here to kill my buzz, how was your trip?” Dane asks.
That smile Joss tried holding back widens now.
“Great, I guess. If you overlook the fact that my dad didn’t let me do anything without hawking my every move,” she sighs. “I did manage to get out and have some fun, though.”
Dane’s brow twitches, and so does the corner of his mouth, but he hides it well with a smile. “I’ll bet. Does ‘some fun’ have a name? Or … names?”
Joss is biting the side of her lip again, but lowers her gaze to the ground instead of answering.
“Well, on that note, I think I’ll head inside,” she announces, passing a lingering glance toward Dane right after. “Call me later. We have a lot to catch up on.”
His eyes don’t leave her when she walks away. With the energy between them, I’m starting to think Sterling and I might have the bet resolved before graduation.
It’s just us three again, heading toward the building with the rest of the crowd. We get stopped a few times along the way, but most know not to even try it. It’s public knowledge that ‘friendly’ isn’t something we do casually. Our circle is small and we intend to keep it that way.
The lines at the staff-run stations are already insane. One to get updated student I.D.’s. One for schedules and locker assignments. Another for anyone claiming a parking space in the student lot.
I
